The Green Bay Packers will face off against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday with the hope of extending their win streak to three. Despite back-to-back wins, Packers fans aren't feeling entirely confident in their team, and a big reason for that is the struggles in the defensive backfield. High-priced offseason addition Nate Hobbs hasn't been performing well since arriving in Green Bay, and the fanbase desperately wants a change in the secondary. Much to the frustration of Packers fans, however, it doesn't appear a change is on its way.
On Thursday, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley spoke to the media and offered a show of support for Hobbs, saying that he believes "he's going to get out there and take a step forward this week," per The Athletic's Matt Schneidman.
Packers Coaches Continue to Make Nate Hobbs Mistake
This isn't exactly what Packers fans were hoping for ahead of Week 8. Calls for benching Hobbs in favor of Carrington Valentine have been getting louder by the week. At least moving Hobbs to the slot corner, where he is more experienced and comfortable, and benching Javon Bullard, should be considered. So far, Hafley and Matt LaFleur don't appear to be very interested in this move.
It almost feels like the coaching staff and the front office are trying to prove a point. The team invested significantly in Hobbs, giving him a four-year, $48 million deal, and in Bullard, by selecting him in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft. Neither player has worked out so far, leaving plenty to be desired. Yet, the insistence on keeping them as starters suggests that the Packers are desperately trying to make this work, rather than seeing what is obviously right in front of them.
If Valentine was the second-round pick or the $48 million investment, it's safe to assume that he would be the one getting the start and extended defensive snaps. Instead, because he was a seventh-round pick and a developmental success story, he has not gotten his flowers, as Valentine's consistently seen his snaps reduced despite playing at a high level. In Week 6, he had a pass breakup, only allowed a 70.1 passer rating in coverage, and received a 69.7 defensive grade on Pro Football Focus in 19 defensive snaps. That would have ranked as the second-best game Hobbs has played all season. But a week after, Valentine saw only two snaps while Hobbs was consistently getting lit up by the Cardinals.
Another week of the same situation will only cause more frustration among the Packers' fan base. How much longer this can go on remains to be seen, especially with a tough test on the road against the Steelers coming up.